Optiphone



`March 2,4, 193,1. J. A; CLIFTON OPTIPHONE Filed July 16, 1928 Patented 'Mal'. 24, 1931 rr tra 't E S s ortica JESSE A. CLIFTON, OF BEAUFORT, SOUTH cartonne, AssrGNon or ONE-THIRD To EAB-L H. HOLLAND .AND ONE-THIRD To GEORGE w. BncKnTT, BOTH OF BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA OPTIPHONE Application filed July 16.

This invention relates to improvements in photo-sensitive devices having audible indicators more particularly intended for the use of a blind person.

Such a device will hereafter be referred to as an optiphone, inasmuch as it delivers an audible signal based upon light conditions. According to this invention it is proposed to provide a light sensitive cell having directional characteristics so that it will respond according to the illumination thereon derived from images in its path of quasi-vision. This electrical response is employed by means of a circuit interrupting device to produce a characteristic audible indication of the presence or absence of predetermined images in such a path. Inrparticular, aplurality of Y such devices, each having its own peculiar characteristic, is provided, the paths of the diderent devices lying in several directions so that a blind person employing the device is enabled to hear the presence or absence of images in the several directions: and further devices are provided whereby such a person may easily determine and locate the direction ot maximum or minimum response, thereby locating a given image with great exactness with respect to its own position or movement.

lll/*ith these and other objects in view as will be apparent in the course of the following specification and claims, an illustrative form of the invention has been shown on the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing in dotted lines a person bearing the elements constituting the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a conventionalized and diagrammatic view of the parts of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through one of the light sensitive devices.

In these drawings, in Fig. 1 a blind person is represented as wearing a band 10 having four light sensitive devices thereon located at angular separations of 90 degrees, so that each of these devices has a path of vision located with its axis at 90 degrees angular separation from that of each of its neighbors. The person also has a telephone head piece 11 upon his ear. It will be noted 1928. Serial No. 293,222.

that a control casing 12 provided with a plurality oi push buttons corresponding in number (four) to the number of light sensitive devices is fastened to theV persons belt so that he may readily operate one or more of these push buttons.

1n Fig. 2 the head band 10 is shown as provided with light sensitive devices A, B, C, and D, each having a conductor leading to a common return conductor 13 passing to the battery 14 and thence through a. resistance to the grid conductor 16 of an amplifying electron discharge tube Thelament cathode otthis tube is heatedv by a battery 18, and a grid return conductor 19 is'provided between the cathode and a tap intermediate the battery 14 and the resistance 15.V

The anode battery 2O is connected between the cathode and the telephone receiver 11 by a conductor 21, while a return conducto;1 22 leads to the anode of the amplifying tube 17.

Each ofthe individual light sensitive devices A, B, C, and D is also provided with an individual conductor 23a, 236, 230 and 23d leading to a respective buzzer which is diagrammatically shown at B', B2, B3, and B4, and thence to a respective circuit closing device or push button 24a, 245, 240, and 24d, the other terminal ot the respective circuit closures being connected by a common conductor 25 leading to the grid conductor 16.

As shown in Fig. 3, each of the light sensitive devices comprises a solid, opaque housing having a cavity 31 therein in the base ot which is mounted a socket33 to receive a small light sensitive element 32 of the electrically responsive type which reacts to changes in the illumination thereon by opposing a properly varying resistance in the conductor wires 13, 23 leading thereto. The

upper end of the cavity 31 is closed by a fo' cusing lens 35 which is protected by a netting 36 carried by the ring 37.

In operation, the blind person carrying the band pushes upon one of the `several circuit closures or push buttons 24a, 246, 240 and 24d, using, for example, the button 246 corresponding to the light sensitive device located in front of him, so that the lens 35 projects an image of what would be the normal field of vision of a seeing person from the light responsive cell 32, this cell evaluating this illumination and changing in resistance accordingly. The current flows from the battery 14 through the conductorY 13, the respective light responsive cell 32, the vcell conductor 23?), buzzer B3, push button 2,45, resista-nce 15 back to the battery. The buzzer B3 operates with its characteristic note, say, the second C above middle C or 1024 cycles per second, (using philosophical pitch With middle C at 256 cycles). This causes a rapidV change of the drop of potential across theV resistance 15, so that an amplification of this drop of potential Will occur in the amplifying-device 17, with a production of sound by theV lreceiver 11, so that the volume of the sound, or its absence, will indicate to the blind person Whether or nota light or gray or dark object, or objects of dier'ent Vcharacters, 'are located vinl the direction in which his head is turned, the amplitude or" thesound vibrations indicating ythe relative illumination of the Object, While the characteristic tone indicates :the general direction With respect to what would` be the line of eyesight of `anormal person. By moving' the head slightly from side to side the iield of vievv is likewise moved, and the audible indications inform him asto the presence and location Ofi various objects.

If another button, say 24a, had V.been pressed, the light'sensitive member A Would have been energized and asimilar iield of vision searched out' toward the right oi theV wearer, and the buzzer VB4 Wouldhave responded to thetone ofsecondG above middle @,say, at a frequency of 768 cycles, With a similar indication ot 758 cycle frequency at the receiver 1 1. Likewise, Athe buzzers B1 and B2v Will operate upon the pressure of the buttons v2&1@ and 240 and respectively may, for example, correspond to the first C above middle C and the E :abo-ve it or 5,12 and 640 cycles, respectively. If more than one push'button is operated, the chord produced by the second ,notes will lindicate to the wearer the general condition of his surroundings.

It is obvious that thel invention is not Y limited solely to the illustrative form shown,

acteristic tone to indicate the particular device or devices receiving illuminated images and thereby indicating the direction of the objects Whose images are being projected.

2. In an optiphone as set forth in claim 1, the arrangement of the several tone generators to operate at chord intervals, so that the sound produced When two 0r more are in operation Will be a harmonic chord.

3. In an optiphone, -a support, la plurality of light sensitive devices mounted Vvon said 'support and spaced apart to have their `paths ducer, and 4means or actuating said sound producer according buzzers. v j j In .testimony'vvhereoi I .a-iiix my signature.

JESSE CLIFTON. j

to the operation Yof said but that it may be modiiied in many Ways Y n Within the scope of the l-claim: A j Y 1. In anoptiphone, a head supported member, a plurality of light sensitive devices mounted onsaid member and means to project images of Vobjects located in different independent directions from said member upon respective devices so that each device .receives an individualV image, -a plurality of Atone generators connected respectively to said devices and controlled thereby to vgenerate tones, andv a sound producer connected to said generators, each of said generators having .e charappended claims. 

